Drama, New Critters and Major Girl Scout Fail

Lawsy! The Christmas shopping in Big City on Monday was mayhem.. MAYHEM I tell ya! How I ever got the bright idea that I'd avoid the crowds by not going on the weekend is beyond me.

I hit the road out of Frog Pond Holler around tennish, after running to the plant to pick up my paycheck then to the bank and the post office. Once I made it out of Hee-Haw county, my first stop was the mall.

I walked the entire Big City mall, no small feat by the way and bought absolutely nothing. I then went to every craft store, book store, department, discount and pet store within a twenty mile radius.

Okay.. maybe not every single one, but my feet seem to think that yes, we visited them all. I managed to find everything I was looking for, with the exception of one or two little bits and pieces.

I think I'm done. Well... almost. There are still one or two things I want to pick up for Ma and one thing I might run by Wal-Mart for this weekend.

I know.. Wal-Mart on the Saturday before Christmas. I am either very brave or extremely foolish.

My last stop before heading home was the Pet Not-So-Smart, where I bought myself a little somethin' somethin' for my birthday. Four somethin' somethin's actually.

Ya'll know I'm a little on the weird side, odd even, in an endearing sort of way. *wink*

Most women, when faced with their 43rd birthday, would probably buy clothing, nice shoes, maybe even treat themselves to some jewelry.

Me?

I bought myself two Dalmation Mollies and... a pair of African Dwarf Frogs. The frogs are named Leonard and Sheldon. If you know the show those names are from, you're probably a little weird too (I mean that in the nicest way!) The Mollies haven't been named yet.

When I got home, at like 7 p.m., draggin' ass and toting my little bag o' frogs and fishies like a 6 year old with fresh carnival winnings, I found a birthday cake and a bouquet of flowers compliments of the Amazon.

It was a great birthday.

As if that wasn't enough excitement for one week, what with the cakes and the frogs and whatnot, we had to evacuate the Asylum yesterday.

I was sitting at my desk playing on plurk and facebook working diligently when I over heard someone across the hall say "911" and "flames" and "HOLY SHIT." I promptly shut my computer down, started cramming my desk monkey, lamb and piggy in to my purse and hollered for Bossman. Once we all made it outside, I turned to look at Thelma and we both said the same thing, "Where's Lulu?"

Now, before I go on I should tell ya'll that in the event of fire, I have but one.. ONE responsibility. See, Lulu doesn't have a supervisor here, technically, because she works for the Big Headed German who's office is at the other plant. Therefore, there is no one to "count" her wee little head during evacuations, so it's a running joke that in the event of a fire (and only then) I am responsible for making sure Lulu makes it out alive.

Apparently this little tidbit of information wasn't stored in the part of my brain where I put important things I need to remember and when the need arose to evactuate the building, my head kicked in to "every chubby girl for herself" mode and I promptly made like a bat out of hell.

Thelma ran back in to the burning building to make sure Lulu wasn't about to meet certain death, sitting on the toilet, while I stood in the rain stroking my desk monkey.

All Girl Scout badges I earned as a small child are being revoked. They may even take away my Brownie beanie.

Oh and Lulu wasn't poised upon the throne during all the drama. The silly girl was out on a "fitness walk," where she was nearly run off the road by the three racing fire trucks that came barreling up the road behind her.

Although she forgave me for not rushing to rescue her from the burning building, I was firmly reprimanded for not grabbing her purse and dress shoes.

The fire, which started when some debris blew in to an exhaust fan... or something, ended up being contained to a small area of the roof and damage was minimal. We're all back in our places with bright shining faces this morning.

I hope the drama is over for a few days. I know everything turned out fine in the end, but it was a little frightening, standing there in the rain wondering if it was really going to burn down this time. It's amazing what starts going through your mind.. the truck payment, the house payment, Christmas... it's humbling and when it's over you realize how lucky you are to even have a job nowadays.

So it's all good.

Ya'll have an awesometastic Humpalicious Hump Day!

Later Taters!